


Turbulence

by AirashiSakura



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Canon - Anime, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Issues, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27795049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AirashiSakura/pseuds/AirashiSakura
Summary: Being a parent is not easy. Seeing their daughter grow makes them happy and sad at the same time. A collection of one-shots based on Boruto episodes (167-171). Slightly mature content in the last chapter only.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 18
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After watching Boruto- Naruto Next Generation's 167th episode, I had an urge to pen down things. Although, SP has done an excellent job animating the scenes and emotions. So far, according to me, these are some of the best episodes. For those who haven't watched them, apologies as these contain some spoilers.
> 
> Disclaimer- Naruto and its character belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. There are some scenes directly taken from the anime, and the story around those are my own embellishments. .
> 
> A special thanks to my friend, CherryBerry12 for beta-ing and for her valuable suggestions.

The head of the medical department of Konoha Hospital  had been waiting impatiently at the gate of the village for Team 7 to arrive. Sakura was relieved when they did arrive, but she felt numb when she saw her daughter lying lifeless on Mugino’s back while Konohamaru carried Boruto. She knew things often took unexpected turns on missions, even putting lives in danger, but never had she thought she would have to witness her own daughter like that. Never!

Still, Sakura was a professional—she had to hold herself together in order to treat her daughter and her teammate.  As they placed the children in gurneys, Sakura got a quick update about their conditions from the jonins and rushed towards the hospital.

Dressed in a patient’s attire, the children were laid on hospital beds. Sakura ordered the other medics around the room and led the medical team herself. She was trying to be professional, but seeing her daughter’s limp body, with her eye bandaged, lying on white sheets was too much for her. Among the chaos of other medics rushing to set up machines, as Shizune-san yelled at someone else for taking too long, all Sakura could hear was her own heartbeat thumping loudly. Her daughter was injured in one of the most brutal ways imaginable. 

Sakura could feel the very ground slipping beneath her. 

  
  


Every time her daughter came back from missions or training, Sakura checked her injuries and healed them immediately. No one in the world would be happier than her if she found minimum scratches and fractures on her daughter’s body. That’s what she always prayed for—for her baby to return safe and sound. It sounded paradoxical for a ninja and even hypocritical when she herself had done the same to her own mother in her younger years. Maybe people would mock her, hearing unrealistic wishes coming from a kunoichi who herself had earned nasty physical and mental scars while aspiring to become strong. 

Perhaps, being a mother, she didn’t want her daughter to experience what she had. No, she didn’t devalue her daughter’s precious dream, but seeing tubes coming out of her arms and machines supporting her life shattered a mother’s heart. 

The medic in her kicked when her eyes fell on the next bed, occupied by her friend’s son.  Leaving Shizune-san in charge of her daughter, she started treating Boruto. Sakura placed her glowing hands above Boruto’s chest and poured healing chakra,  abandoning the thoughts, for now, that were wrecking her. She concentrated every bit of attention on her patient. She was well aware that Hinata had rushed to the hospital after hearing the bad news. After all, mothers’ hearts beat in the same way. 

What was worse was that she would have to face Hinata and Naruto, to console them with a smile and say that their son would be okay, knowing there was no one who would be there to assuage her own fears. She was proud of the position she held in the medical department, but when life tested her, she wanted to abandon the role of medic and just be a parent. She wanted someone to tell her, just as she was doing, that her daughter would be okay too. She knew Sarada would be, but it didn’t help to tell herself that. For once, she wanted to put the mask of calm medic aside and break down in tears until she felt her heavy burden dissolve.

After Boruto and Sarada’s condition were stabilized, they were placed in separate rooms. Shizune commented that the incident had left a dent in both of their minds, but being a medic Sakura gave a practical reply, although the same matter worried her too. Shizune knew more than anyone how Sakura had burned herself out emotionally and physically for past days and  so she didn’t press her. She had seen Sakura run all day performing tests on Boruto and Sarada and analyzing reports, personally overseeing their diets, and tending to all of their issues, hiding her own exhaustion with a gentle smile. 

The signs of worry were clear on Sakura’s face throughout the day, but at night it was a different story. Shizune couldn’t recall when she had ever seen Sakura so vulnerable and uneasy. Every night, when other medics settled, she stayed by Sarada’s room to make sure everything was okay. More than anyone, maybe, she needed visual proof of her recovery, the soft lines coursing up and down on the monitor. The proof that the life she created was still breathing.

After a few days of treatment, Sakura advised both of them to abstain from any rigorous work. Although their conditions improved, straining themselves to overcome the bitter sense of failure wouldn’t do any good.  Therefore, Sakura and Shizune decided to keep them in the hospital for several more days.

As for Sarada, she needed to give her  left  eye ample rest  too . Sakura respected her daughter’s personal space and let her vent out her frustration in her own way.  Every time Sakura came to check up on Sarada, she would find Sarada gloomy. To cheer her up,  Sakura narrated failures from her own past missions and she would tell Sarada to accept whatever happened and let it motivate her. Yes, she wanted to make this easier for her daughter, though she knew a stubborn kunoichi’s heart couldn’t let everything go that easily. She was trying her best as a mother to comfort Sarada, but the child was too disappointed in her abilities. 

Late at night, when Sakura was again on her way to Sarada’s cabin, she heard some children running in the hospital corridors—Sarada’s classmates. They told her Boruto was absent from his room, and when they rushed to Sarada’s, they were greeted by Sarada’s hospital dress neatly folded on the bed. Sarada was gone too. Clutching Sarada’s abandoned clothes, Sakura’s mind raced to figure out where they might have gone. Interrupting the blabbering genins, Sakura announced that she might have an idea about where they went.

Along with the genins, she rushed towards the Aun gate to find Boruto and Sarada talking privately to their sensei, both resolving to become stronger. Sakura was a little relieved to see her daughter’s spirits high again, but the realization that the hard part in Sarada’s life had just begun saddened her,  for she also knew how far one’s heart could go for the sake of strength.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a parent is not easy. Seeing their daughter grow makes them happy and sad at the same time. A collection of one-shots based on Boruto episodes (167-171). Slightly mature content in the last chapter only.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish if we have got some exposure of Sasuke dealing with Sarada being hospitalized! Here is my attempt to how things had been with Sasuke.

Back in their home and getting some time together was helping both mother and daughter to cope. Sasuke was back in the village and had already checked on Sarada at the hospital.  Sakura had told him about Sarada, although she regretted it then. This was the first time in all these years, that Sakura had let him know how scared she was. Sakura had seen many ups and downs with Sarada. She had nursed Sarada before, but she never fretted over the issue to Sasuke. His missions were crucial, and she didn’t want him to worry about them.

After dinner, Sakura was waiting for Sasuke to arrive. With every passing second, she grew more restless until she finally snuck to her daughter’s room, like she had back at the hospital. As quiet as she could, she inched open the door and saw messy black hair contrasting with the white pillow. She strolled silently towards the bed and sat down next to her sleeping daughter. The regular and calm breathing told Sakura that her daughter was sleeping soundly. She observed the slow rhythmic fall and rise of her daughter’s shoulders that reminded her of the day her daughter had breathed the air for the first time.

_ ************* _

“It’s a girl,”  a red-headed woman announced while Sakura was still struggling to breathe. Her labored breaths and face contorted with pain were replaced by a smile, eyes tightly shut, when the newborn began to cry.

After Karin took her time to clean the newborn, she finally placed the little one near the new mother.

Sakura adjusted her position to face  _ her little daughter _ . It amazed her how tiny she was, how her little chest rose and fell as she gasped to inflate her tiny lungs with air. Her red skin was covered with fine hair and the signature Uchiha black hair adorning her little crown. Sakura was awestruck, thinking just how much a baby could be both beautiful and vulnerable at the same time.

Sakura snuggled closer to her. Her shaky hand rested on her small head, too afraid she might hurt her, as she vowed,  “From now on, your mama is going to protect you, no matter what!”

_ *************** _

Tears started spilling from Sakura’s eyes as she threw aside the facade she had been wearing. She cried silently as her palm again found its way to her daughter’s head, caressing her locks. Sometimes, she couldn’t believe how, in the blink of an eye, her daughter had grown so fast. Sometimes, she just wanted the time to slow down so she could cherish some more time with her. Maybe, if they had more time together, she could have warned her daughter better about the cruelty that existed in the world. Maybe then Sarada wouldn’t have fallen so hard and had her reality shattered. The little Sarada she knew always ran behind her. Out of everything she missed, she missed that part most, though she knew all children eventually grew up and that she had no right to stop her daughter from doing the same. 

Sarada felt a hand resting over her head. It felt heavy. She still had a lingering headache from overusing her sharingan. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or hallucinating as she hadn't fully recuperated. She heard a light sniffling sound and craned her neck to see her mother.

“Mama?”  Sarada could see the sadness in her mother’s eyes and she realized it was too real to be a dream.

“Sorry, I woke you up.”  Sakura apologized as she wiped her tears and smiled.

Sarada flinched from the headache as her hand involuntarily moved to rub her temple.

“I’ll make it better.”  Sakura started pouring her green healing chakra as the expression on Sarada’s face became relieved. Yes, Sakura was protecting her baby in her own way.

Sarada got up from her resting position and hugged Sakura. Sakura returned the embrace, holding her tightly. Both unaware, Sasuke was watching them, reliving the moment when Sakura had first lulled little Sarada to sleep in her arms. A smile escaped from his lips and he decided not to disturb them.

“Mama, I'll be fine,”  Sarada assured her mother, telling her not to worry—not then, and not the next day.

Sakura nodded as she spoke,  “Sleep now.  Papa will be training you from tomorrow .”

Seeing her daughter's face lit up was like an ointment to her bruises. Sakura tucked her in and watched her fall asleep again.

After a few minutes, when she was about to get up, she sensed Sasuke by the door. He walked into the room and gestured to Sakura not to say anything. Sasuke knelt down beside the bed to look at his daughter. He had completed his mission and returned  to Konoha as soon as he could. It had put enormous stress on him, but he couldn’t ignore his family.  He hated those bastards when he heard their names for the first time in the Hokage’s office. He questioned his duty of protecting the village and its future from the shadows when notorious threats like Kara were still lurking. He hated it even more to see Sarada and Boruto like that, although he successfully hid it with his cool demeanor. Thus, he tried joining dots between Hashirama cells and Kara with Naruto, Shikamaru, and others. He too had spent sleepless nights at home alone while Sarada was at the hospital and Sakura tended to her, worrying both about his daughter and wife.

Sakura closed the door behind them as they got out of the room. 

“Welcome home, Anata.”

“Aah. I’m back.”

A moment of silence lingered between them as green eyes met mismatched ones. Sakura wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face in his chest and whispering,  _ “I was so afraid. What if something worse had happened?”  _ Finally, she had someone to voice her worst fear.

Sasuke held his wife close as his lone arm comforted her, rubbing her back, resting his chin on her head. He knew he didn’t need to remind her about the extreme difficulties of shinobi life—Sakura had lived through them herself. He knew she just needed someone to share her fears. 

Sasuke felt her warm tears soaking his clothes.

“Sakura?”

She lifted her face from his chest. Sasuke wiped her tears by his fingers and said,  “She is our daughter.”

_ Don’t worry. She will be alright. She will get stronger. She knows how to take care of herself. Failures are needed to refine one’s skill. And we trust our daughter. _

Although these sentences were unspoken, Sakura nodded as though she had understood everything.

It had been a long week for all of them.  Both  Sasuke  and Sakura breathed sighs of relief  now that  their family was back under the same roof .

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't it great to see Sasuke training Sarada in recent episodes of anime? I just loved it and this inspired me to write the following after watching episode no. 168

The digital clock on the bedside table read 02:00. Green eyes reflected the faint neon light radiating from the clock. Tired from running errands for the entire day, Sakura was supposed to be out like a light when her body hit the soft bed, but she couldn’t sleep. 

Her day had been as long as it usually was, considering both her responsibilities at the hospital on top of her household chores. Today she had an extra thing to look on too. Sakura was worried about her daughter’s health during her shift, and she debated checking into her training. She knew training for Sarada was essential and having Sasuke in the village was a big opportunity for her daughter to polish her skills. 

Her worries had distracted her, and she’d ended up staying at the hospital late. An empty and dim-lighted hallway had greeted her when she got home. After checking on her sleeping daughter, she had slipped in bed beside Sasuke to get some rest herself. 

But it was useless. Sakura tossed and turned within sheets restlessly, unable to sleep. Every time she shut her eyelids, she could see her daughter getting hit, falling to the ground, panting heavily, clothes ruined with grime, her eyes bleeding . Her daughter barely had any time to recover and the thought of her extreme training made a mother's heart quiver.

  
  
  


"Are you okay?" 

Sasuke didn’t know when Sakura joined him in bed, but being a light sleeper, Sakura’s restlessness stirred him out of his slumber.

Sakura had her back facing Sasuke. She rolled over to face him when she heard his voice.

"I can’t sleep," she said, staring back at Sasuke blankly.

He knew exactly what was bothering her.

"You came to see Sarada's training?" 

Although a question, Sakura knew Sasuke had noticed her presence back then.

"Yes," she sighed. _"_ I’m worried about her eyes bleeding when she overuses her Sharingan. I feel like she’s overexerting herself."

Sasuke nodded, acknowledging her concern. He was disheartened too, seeing his daughter going through a rough time, but he hadn't been the person to show them. 

"Don't worry. You also underwent harsh training. Don't get biased when it comes to Sarada." 

  
  
  


Sakura knew he was right, and she was overthinking about _certain other things_ too. Before she could respond, Sasuke pulled her closer and looked intimately in her eyes with the expression that always left her cheeks flushed. 

There wasn’t enough light in the room to see Sakura’s face, but there was enough for him to figure out that her gleaming green eyes were dull. 

"Relax," Sasuke whispered, caressing her pink strands while his lips brushed over hers. The kiss started languidly but picked up momentum when their tongues clashed. Sakura moaned in his mouth with her senses numbed by pleasure. For a moment, she wanted to ditch her thoughts and indulge in it, but the chattering in her head was distracting her and she pulled away. 

"I don’t think I can do this tonight," she apologized, panting.

Sasuke understood her reluctance. After all, Sakura had shared a much larger portion of their daughter's life compared to him. He also knew Sakura had been quite shaken after the incident. 

Sasuke said nothing, but he rested his hand on the back of her head, his fingers threading through her hair.

  
  


The space between them was once again filled with silence - comforting for Sasuke but tormenting for Sakura. Inside her mind, it was unbearable - chaotic and loud. The urge to voice her thoughts increased with each passing minute. She breathed sharply and said accusingly, “What good have I done being a medic?” 

Sasuke, whose eyes were still closed - content from her presence, frowned, clueless as to what she was talking about. 

Sakura continued, “I couldn’t even treat my own daughter’s eyes. It’s my fault.” she paused, trying not to break down, “Besides if- if you had…”

Sasuke opened his eyes and was met with green eyes glistening with tears.

“If what, Sakura?”

 _Sakura_ faltered, _"_ If you had- married someone- from an elite clan, maybe- Sarada would have been stronger." 

All those years of waiting for Sasuke seemed futile to her because she was disillusioned due to her daughter’s suffering - to see all the happiness they had shared together.

  
  
  


“Just what the hell are you talking about?” Sasuke was infuriated now. 

  
  


“This never happened to you until you activated the mangekyou, right?” A single tear rolled from her eye as she struggled to speak her next words, “Sasuke-kun, it’s because- because of my genes.”

  
  


Anger evident in his eyes, he looked towards Sakura. Unable to form sentences, he pulled her in a kiss to shut up her nonsense. He poured every bit of his frustration and wanted her to know that she was wrong. After getting a kick to say things, he released her. Sakura gasped for air, flabbergasted with his unusual action.

Sasuke snapped, "Cut it out, Sakura. If I had been present in Sarada’s life when she was younger, her eyesight wouldn’t have been damaged. It's my fault. Stop taking blame for everything on yourself."

  
  


Sakura closed her eyes, trying best not to show her tears. Deep down, she wanted to punch herself, just what was she doing - hurting Sasuke more? The encounter with Shin and his clones had proven that parental love and care was superior to the genetic combinations that impart identity to a child. She gripped the sheet tightly, trembling from inner pain - all her strong beliefs wrecked by emotional turbulence. 

Maybe she turned the issue more serious than it was necessary. 

  
  


Sasuke sighed and pressed his forehead against Sakura's. With a soft tone, Sasuke spoke again, "Marrying you was one of the few right decisions I have made in my life." 

Sakura opened her misty eyes slowly and gazed into his mismatched ones. His comforting look was enough to calm her down.

"Sarada is our perfect combination. And like you, she has a knack of hard work." 

Sakura stared into his eyes in amazement. Sasuke was never good with emotions nor with words, yet when she was drowning in self-doubts, her husband made her realize that the very existence of Sarada in both of their lives - the result of their love, proved her gibberish wrong. 

  
  


"Do you understand?" Sasuke asked as he ruffled her hair.

Sakura nodded, wiping her tears dry, and smiled, "Thank you, Anata."

  
"Annoying woman," Sasuke snickered and Sakura snuggled closer to him, giggling. Embracing his warmth, she reminded herself again - with three of them together, there was nothing that could break them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke knows it's inevitable, but he can't help and gets bothered with 'the' issue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, episode 170 again had given me some idea. The anime really tried to show Sakura's anxiety. Here is my attempt to pen down Sasuke's thought.

_ She had researched the mankegyou!  _

Sasuke sighed as he let his thoughts dive into that darkness. His inner  murkiness melded quite perfectly with the darkness of the room. For years he had atoned, persevered, and wandered to the tame this darkness. There was a reason why his daughter didn't know the real secrets of sharingan. 

  
  


_ She had researched about mankegyou!  _

Sasuke repeated as he sank deeper into the couch. Sasuke also sank deeper in his own heavy sadness and memories - losing his parents, bearing the burden of being born in an ostracized clan, and facing the existential crisis being the lone survivor of the massacre. 

When he was Sarada's age, he knew about the mankegyou sharingan, but his absence from her life and the dreadful secrets of awakening it were the reasons he hadn't told her about it yet. Not only that, but then Sarada would know about his past life - the life he was shameful of and was still trying to make amends for. Sarada would know about  _ the person. _

_ Nii-san, _ he thought. 

  
  


How was he supposed to explain that witnessing Itachi's death triggered his mankegyou?

How was he supposed to explain the emotional trauma, the pain of loss and the heart wrenching truth that followed?

How was he supposed to explain these things to his own daughter?

  
  


He couldn't ignore the question every time. He couldn't run from the truth—he had to reveal the secrets of the Uchiha clan to his daughter. His daughter was living a life very different from him, but deep down he knew Sarada too would inherit the curse of the Uchiha clan - the link between unimaginable suffering and unparalleled strength. Still, the thought of telling Sarada himself was far better than her rummaging through the clan's secrets like he had done. 

Tonight, Sasuke felt like the same old self who mourned for his family, remembering the bitter images. Even years later, he couldn’t forget Itachi’s face and parting words. He didn’t want to, because Itachi’s love was ingrained within those moments. 

  
  


Loneliness had been a curse that had always been borne from the loss of loved ones. The feeling of love always came with the risk of hatred, which was why he always ran away from affection. Letting Sakura into his life after shedding all the insecurities, hadn't been an easy thing, but their journey and the eventual birth of Sarada proved that it was worth it.

Sasuke closed his eyes, sighing, thinking about the conversation with Sakura earlier that day. All the words that she had said were piercing his soul. What infuriated him most were Sakura’s naive conclusions about herself and her underestimating her daughter’s resolve. Repeatedly, he had reminded Sakura not to do so. His expression became grimmer when he remembered Sakura telling him he wouldn't understand her anxiety. He always thought Sakura understood him, but it seemed like she couldn’t this time - the agony of a father. 

Clicking noises coming from the other side of the door broke his chains of thoughts. 

  
  
  


With dizzy steps, Sakura entered her house. While placing the key in the key stand, she noticed the spare key that Sasuke kept with him was there. She rubbed her eyes, still intoxicated slightly, trying to figure out in the dark if it was Sasuke who was sitting on the couch. 

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, I thought you would sleep," she said while switching on a lamp.

She stood still for a few seconds, waiting for Sasuke to say something when hiccups started, and she stumbled to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. 

In a true sense, alcohol wasn’t the only reason her senses were dulled. She had lost her senses from the day Sarada returned injured. Ino's words had hit right at her heart. Life, responsibilities, and a growing daughter had made her forget her younger self. Now, she realised Sasuke was right. They had been the same in their younger days - going to any heights to become powerful. Perhaps that was just how the cycle goes. 

  
  


Sakura came and sat beside Sasuke. Sasuke hadn't said anything, but she sensed her actions from morning might be why. She felt terrible after accusing him, and she knew her husband would just accept her words silently, resenting not her but himself more. She needed to break the ice.

"I’m sorry. I have hurt both you and Sarada," Sakura spoke in a low voice.

No response came from Sasuke’s side. Not even a shift of position or a change in a breathing pattern.

  
  


"What goes around comes around!" Sakura laughed sheepishly and added, "Now I understand why my mom always nagged me, and I responded in the same as Sarada did." 

She didn't blame Sarada for lashing out at her, but her own child raising a voice left a little dent in her mind. After all, she thought she deserved it. She had done the same too.

  
  


She looked towards Sasuke, expecting a reply, but was greeted by his uneasy silence. 

Sakura's vision was still a little blurred from alcohol, but she was sure she could see Sasuke's eyes tightly shut, brows narrow, with an annoyed expression... She had faced his icy silence before, when he hated feeling helpless over something. Sakura was nervous that she was the reason now. Sakura knew she had crossed her limits much to Sasuke's dislike, but she was a mother and she had every right to worry about her daughter.

"I know I have spoken terrible things, but you need to understand that…"

  
  


"She researched the mankegyou!" 

  
  


Sakura blinked, contemplating the situation. Sakura felt a bit at ease now that Sasuke finally replied something, though the tension between them hung stiff.

"She has asked me a couple of times too."

Sakura understood the real reason behind his ill mood. She thought that Sasuke was fine with her daughter rushing to make her eyes stronger and sharper.

"Anata," she spoke in a calm tone. "But didn't you tell me earlier it was not something to be worried about?" Although she knew Sasuke wasn't the person who would answer how she wanted, she asked cautiously, "What exactly are you worried about?"

  
  
  


Sasuke sighed heavily. He didn't want to answer, but he knew he had given her enough trouble living away from his family and from his silences, so he didn't want her to make her more anxious.

He opened his eyes and looked towards Sakura. He noticed her face flushed with effects of alcohol. He wanted to ask her about it but he went on explaining, "She wanted to know how…" He averted his gaze and sighed again, "how I awakened my mankegyou?"

  
  


She realised she was not the only one who was worried over Sarada awakening the mangekyou. Sasuke too was bothered, and she had thought Sasuke wasn’t capable of understanding her. She felt a lump of guilt in her throat and she could clearly see his pain now.

"And?"

"I told her we would talk about the mankegyou sharingan next time." 

He looked towards the floor and spoke again, "How am I going to tell her about the past I regret?" 

The day he held Sarada in his arm, he knew that one of the hardest tasks of his life would be to tell her about the cursed blood that flowed through her veins too. He had been constantly plagued by the fear that he couldn’t be a perfect father! What inspiration his daughter would draw from him - a life that had thrived in darkness, driven by revenge on the person he adored most and full of wrong decisions. 

  
  


It was one of those moments when Sakura saw her husband crumbling down because of his past. Sympathy replaced all the anger she had towards Sasuke for helping Sarada train against her wishes. She placed her hands firmly on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. She was again in one of those situations where she didn't know how to console him. After Sarada was born, she had seen Sasuke spending sleepless nights wondering about the same things. Sakura felt shameful for accusing Sasuke earlier. 

"Sorry. I was so clouded by my worries that I couldn't see your own."

  
  


Sasuke was about to get up. He had never wanted Sakura to bear this particular burden for him just because he shared his clan's name with her. He always knew it was his own responsibility to tell the truth to his daughter. Sooner or later, he would have to. 

  
  


"Ino said that we are parents of a shinobi."

This caught Sasuke's attention as it explained why Sakura was tipsy when she came home. He wasn't sure what this had to do with the topic.

"I-I mean- I understand you are stressing more about Sarada undergoing emotional traumas to awaken her mankegyou than letting her know about your past to her."

Sasuke blankly stared into her eyes, with a relief that Sakura hadn't misunderstood him. 

With a tinge of sadness, she spoke again, "It worries me like hell, but we can't hide things from her anymore. Eventually, she has to know everything and has to get stronger.” Sakura squeezed Sasuke's shoulder gently, “And don't worry, she will understand the choices you had to make in the past. After all, she is our daughter."

  
  


Through his mismatched eyes, he saw her smiling, reflecting pure assurance as he heard her saying those words. He nodded as he realised Sakura was right. Hesitating just due to his past and the pain that her daughter would go through wouldn't do any good to Sarada. He remembered his own words to Sakura earlier in the morning about how they have to make her capable so Sarada could protect herself. He also remembered Sarada's face when he praised her - the cheerful face that replicated Sakura's.

"Hn. In certain traits, she is exactly like you, although she is not a cry baby like you," he smirked. 

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura felt embarrassed as Sasuke teased her. She had realised it too that both Sasuke and Ino were right - it’s a part of growing up that everyone goes through; they had done it, and now it was their children’s turn.

  
  


Sasuke got up to finally call it a day, walking towards their bedroom.

"Sasuke-kun, can I help with Sarada’s training?" Sakura asked enthusiastically as she got up too.

"Aah." Sasuke knew it would be difficult to answer all of Sarada's questions about the mankegyou sharingan, but with Sakura by his side it would be easier. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an intensive training session, here's how the Uchihas spend their night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 171 was really something! My inner fangirl was so satisfied after seeing Sasuke smiling. OMG!!!! Beside that, the match between Sakura and Sarada was something! Anyway, here is the chapter.

“What’s with you exhausting me like this?” Sarada complained while Sakura healed injuries earlier from that day. 

“Are you already tired of training with your mama?” Sakura teased her daughter as her green healing chakra seeped through Sarada’s skin.

“No, it’s not that,” Sarada retorted. “The transition from mama-bear to Tsunade-sama was too sharp. And what’s with you and Papa teaming up together?” Sarada pouted. 

Sakura giggled. “Isn’t this good? The three of us, spending time in a different way,” Sakura said as she beamed with joy, still focused on looking for cuts and scratches to fix them.

Sarada nodded happily. Her training had started with a good note _ - _ her father agreeing to train her and keeping track of every little improvement she had made. As it continued, she tried hard to do better, but she wasn’t seeing the results that she expected, and her mother worrying too much vexed her. With Sakura offering to help her improve her chakra control, things had taken a sharp turn in the training session. Sarada thought her mother would be easy on her, but she realized it had been harder than training with her father.

This form of Sakura was unknown to her, although she had seen her mother crushing enemies before .Sakura had given her a basic idea of how to make punches deadly with chakra control during her academy days, but she didn’t know her mother could get this serious in terms of training. She had primarily admired her mother as an important figure in the hospital medic department. Sarada had looked to her father’s amazing skills as a ninja from the day she met him after a long absence, but now she knew her mother’s determination and hard work were also remarkable.

_ I thought mama misunderstood. She didn't fight me to break my resolve, but to make me realize what I was lacking. Mama, you're really amazing _ , Sarada thought. 

Although Sarada always wanted to do things in her own way, she was not ashamed that, this time, her parents understood what exactly she needed to do better than she did. With her resolve getting stronger every day, she was glad that her mother assisted her in finding the right way to channel her energy into a fruitful training. Thanks to her mother’s effort, she realized what she had been missing.

  
  
  


Sakura was almost done with healing Sarada when her eyes fell on Sarada’s bruised knuckles. She held Sarada’s hand, looking at her dark purplish colouration that had resulted from their combat. Although she was determined now to teach Sarada precise chakra control, it saddened her a little to know Sarada would be getting more injuries like these. Sakura brushed the bruises lightly with a little soreness in her heart. It always had hurt to see even a minor scratch on her precious daughter, and thinking that she herself would impart these in the course of training dimmed her spirits. 

Still holding Sarada’s hand with one of her hands, she brought another hand that glowed with healing chakra that slowly knitted the abrasions in Sarada’s skin. This reminded her of when Sarada had been learning to walk, her chubby legs wobbling when she struggled to get balance. She smiled, eyes glistening with tears, looking at the same hand that she had held when Sarada took her baby steps, encouraging her little daughter to walk more. The feeling of now helping her daughter to be independent in other ways washed away her blues. Her daughter wanting to get stronger didn't scare her now. Instead, she was now proud that she could help her achieve that dream. 

"Ne, mama?"

"Hm?”

" How did you get  your resolve?"

"My resolve?" Sakura sighed as she remembered Sasuke’s retreating figure from so many years ago , but  she blushed the next moment.

The sharp change in Sakura’s expression made Sarada more curious. Her mother’s blushing had given her a clue that Sakura’s resolve had something to do with her father. Sarada couldn’t hold herself from blurting, “Tell me about it. Tell me about the incident that forged your resolve.”

“I will tell you,” Sakura playfully said. She patted Sarada’s hand gently, as she finished healing her knuckles and added, “but next time." 

All the excitement in Sarada’s eyes vanished and she whined, "You are becoming like Papa." 

Sakura laughed. "Get some good rest. I am not going to be easy on you from tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am."

  
  
  


As she walked out of Sarada’s room, Sakura realized that her resolve, like her daughter’s, also started from a hospital cabin, from the promise that she made to Naruto to join him next time he tried to bring Sasuke back. 

As Sakura walked inside her bedroom, she saw Sasuke reading something from a scroll. Sasuke was  _ back!  _ Sasuke was _ there with her! _

She sat beside Sasuke, who was too busy to acknowledge her presence, concentrating on reading the scroll. Sakura looked towards Sasuke, smiling. He had been the reason she’d been so determined to get stronger, the reason she worked hard all the years when he had been absent. 

“Happy after snatching the opportunity to train Sarada from me?” Sasuke smirked, his eyes still on the scroll.

Sakura was surprised by Sasuke's sudden words, but she replied excitedly, “Very. I am going to put all my effort into this and train her until she gets a good grasp of her chakra control. Shannaro!” 

Sasuke's smirk widened. He wasn't amazed when he heard Sakura had already chalked out time for training amidst her shifts at the hospital and had planned out phases of training. As Sakura went on explaining things step by step, he realised that the sight looked similar - Sakura pausing in between her explanations to look at him for his affirmative nod. He knew that when it came to Sarada, Sakura had a habit of planning everything beforehand with unparalleled excitement, like she had done when they were expecting Sarada on their journey.

“I think I just have to hold myself back while training,” Sakura said as she scratched her neck.

"And someone was saying I was tough on Sarada," Sasuke teased her as he rolled the scroll. 

Sakura’s face flushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean that way."

"Aah, I get it. Don't worry," Sasuke spoke as he passed her an assuring smile.

Sakura moved closer to Sasuke, closing the distance between them, and rested her head on Sasuke's shoulders. 

"Our daughter has grown up," Sakura sighed, placing her hand on Sasuke's chest. 

"Aah." Sasuke rested his head over her head as he wrapped Sakura in his arm. It had been a while since he had spent some time like this with his wife. He remembered how Sakura would quietly invade his personal space just like this during their traveling days. Sasuke couldn't deny that her warmth was always annoyingly comfortable. 

Sasuke’s desire ignited as his senses were flooded by the sweet scent of her hair. Sasuke's palm trailed over Sakura's hand to hold her fingers as they drew patterns over Sasuke's chest. 

"Sakura."

Sakura lifted her head and looked intimately in Sasuke’s eyes. Slowly, Sakura reached for his lips and kissed him, reciprocating Sasuke’s unspoken desire that had been left unattended a few nights before. Sasuke pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. It was a tiring day for both of them, but with the heat fanning between them, all their tiredness got lost within the sheets.

.

.

Sasuke nuzzled on Sakura’s neck, still pinning Sakura beneath him. Both embraced the moment of bliss in silence, until Sakura asked, “Will you be leaving again?” 

Sasuke raised himself on his stump to look at Sakura and answered, “No. I can monitor Sarada’s training when you are at hospital.”

Sakura’s face brightened up. “Thank you, Sasuke-kun.”

"Sleep now. You need rest," Sasuke said, reaching over to poke her forehead. 

"No, I'm not… tired. Let's go for a second round," Sakura yawned, her eyelids getting heavy.

Sasuke raised his eyes in amusement as he rolled on his back, getting off from Sakura.

Sakura scrunched her nose, wailing from loss of heat. Sakura rolled sideways, gripping the sheets closer to her body, grumbling. 

Sasuke's smirk turned into a smile. Sasuke spooned Sakura from behind, and his hand again found all the way to Sakura's hand, threading with her. 

He noticed little scratches on her knuckles, figuring those are remnants of training earlier that day. He brushed them gently with his thumb, realising these hands were not only the testament of the number of lives she had saved. These hands had raised the future of his clan - his daughter. It pricked his heart, thinking Sakura had to do everything alone.

Sasuke rested his chin on her head and sighed, being grateful for everything Sakura had done for him and glad that neither he had to share the story of cursed fate of the Uchiha clan to Sarada nor Sakura had to take care of Sarada alone now. Being a wandering shinobi, he quite never understood or felt the dynamics of marriage. Perhaps training Sarada now with Sakura would give him an idea of what it was like to raise a child together. 

A sad frown marred his face, but he was happy when it crossed his mind that though it was coming late, Sarada would get what he had wanted from his father and brother. 

"Sakura?"

He wanted to verbalize his gratefulness to her - for giving his daughter what was snatched from him in his childhood. Without getting a response from Sakura - proof that she was in deep slumber - Sasuke closed his eyes, soothed by Sakura's pacifying breaths. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to let me know how you feel.


End file.
